Yellow River Hotel / Sunlay Design

Yellow River Hotel of Jungar Banner, Mongolia by Sunlay Design is a symbol of the unique environment within which it is located. Situated between an endless desert and a lush river the architects used this contradiction to develop a distinct geometric form that is an icon of a rock emerging from the sand and weathered by the elements. The building mass is both above and below ground and posed many challenges in dealing with the relationship between the architecture and the environment. More after the break.

Sunlay Design used the following methods to address the site context and the architectural intervention: Landmark: using simple and geometric massing that stands distinct from nature to create a dominate symbol on the site. Blending: Taking local stone as main material. This building represents a similar color tone and texture with the desert, which allows the architecture to blend and resemble the a rock in the sand. Strengthening: The building strengthens the habitability of the desert while articulating the characteristics of the site. Sight: The building allows the Yellow River to remain visible on the site and reinforces views of it through the east elevation. Tactile impression: The experience of the building is enhanced through the use of a combination of different spaces, materials and scales.

This building stands on the spot where one can overlook the Yellow River and the wetland faraway, and optimizes the view from within the architecture. An interior landscape runs through the building in order to connect the exterior with interior. The cladding on the east part of the building provides full transparency, and thus the best views of the river. VIP rooms located along the eastern elevation are stacked together like crystal, where the rock has been eroded. A large dining hall is placed here, where visitors can overlook the intersection between the wetland and the desert, with the Yellow River flowing in the distance. A conference center and exhibition center are built along the landscape, thereby introducing a natural element into the building. Architects: Sunlay Design Location: Xiao tan zi scenic spot, Jungar Banner, Inner MongoliaDesign team: He wei, Stefanie Helga paul, Liu wei wei, Fu chang rui, Li jie, Chen na, Wang guo feng Building Area: 68204 m² Project phase: Concept design